


A long journey to a nameless planet

by chancellorxofxtrash



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Memory Alteration, Multi, Polyamory, Shit Is Messy My Dudes, Virtual Reality, i don't even know how else to tag this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 02:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chancellorxofxtrash/pseuds/chancellorxofxtrash
Summary: The Ignis were all gone and Ryoken was finally calm in his life.





	A long journey to a nameless planet

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from this song I kept listening to while writing it
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGTJkDWxR_s

The Ignis were all gone and Ryoken was finally calm in his life. Well, it was more like a work in progress. Getting up every day in the empty house next to the sea was almost lonely, but only until he walked into town.

He didn’t go back to school, but that didn’t matter. He had people to visit. They sometimes logged into LINK VRAINS which was beautiful and mesmerising, ran under Akira Zaizen’s careful eye.

He would play cards occasionally, and look around, keeping the place safe.

Outside of VRAINS, he would go to Café Nagi, and everything would be nice, and there was Yusaku, and on his hand…

On…

His…

Hand…

_ Oh dear. Whoopsies. I got distracted. Sorry about this, Ryoken. _

Ryoken blinked twice. There was nothing on Yusaku’s wrist - hadn’t been, for a long while.

How long exactly? He lost track.

Either way, point is, the Dark Ignis was gone, and Ryoken just sat down next to Yusaku, as the younger Kusanagi brother appeared next to their table quickly, with a smile.

“Can we get you something?”

“Yeah, I would like a hot dog.”

“Okay! Big brother, one more hot dog, then!”

Jin disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared, and Ryoken looked after him, deep in thought.

There was light coming out of the truck, as Shoichi Kusanagi was moving quickly, and Ryoken turned his attention back to Yusaku.

“It’s been a while since you and I could meet with each other.”

Yusaku slowly nodded.

“We all thought we would have more free time after things calmed down, but it seems like it isn’t happening.”

“At least our new issues aren’t world-threatening.”

There was a faraway look in Yusaku’s eyes as he slowly nodded.

“Yeah. You are right.”

***

The Ignis were gone, and Ryoken figured that Yusaku and Takeru had to have taken it the hardest. They were especially close to their Ignis after all, so for Ryoken, it didn’t seem odd at all, that they were almost inseparable.

Takeru’s childhood friend also seemed to move into Den City, along with his grandparents. He figured they must have wanted to be close to Takeru.

It made sense, Ryoken figured.

What was odd, trying to figure out all the relationships that formed. Yusaku and Takeru were obviously attached by the hip. Takeru also had that girl, and Yusaku was also often seen with his excitable classmate.

He had no idea how did someone like Aoi Zaizen or Jin Kusanagi fit into all of it.

And of course, there was Spectre.

All the Ignis were gone, and that barely seemed to faze Spectre. If anything, he just seemed content, especially, when he could be next to Ryoken, and Ryoken felt he should not felt that content. Not with Spectre. Not whenever he looked at him, there was a twist of guilt still deep within his stomach.

Spectre seemed to be able to kiss those feelings away, though.

“I must admit, I wonder why aren’t you trying to ask out Yusaku Fujiki, though.”

A question that Ryoken couldn’t even dare ask himself, because of the heavy feeling in his stomach.

“I thought you would be way too possessive for that.”

“It doesn’t mean I would lose you. But it also doesn’t mean I wouldn’t compete for your attention” Spectre’s face had a serene smile. “Earth told me I need to be more honest about it all.”

“...Earth?”

Earth.

The Earth Ignis.

He was _ gonedeaddisappeared, _ so why why whywhywhywhy _ why was Spectre talking about him like he wasn’t _whywhywhy…….

_ It’s okay. You can forget that. _

Ryoken blinked twice.

“Honesty doesn’t really fit you.”

“Oh? Should I keep lying?”

“That’s not what I meant. Maybe we just all need to get used to it. A lot of things had changed after all.”

***

The Ignis were gone. Spectre never mentioned them after they were gone, and Ryoken could understand why. He was never that close to his own Ignis partner, they never actually met, so for him, getting rid of them was just a matter of helping Ryoken.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Ryoken got out of bed, leaving Spectre sprawled there, and as he shrugged his shirt on, his eyes focused on his own duel disk.

It flashed for a moment.

_ Remember, Revolver. _

Ryoken blinked twice.

The message was gone.

That was odd.

Visiting Café Nagi was almost a routine by this point, there was always someone who was happy to see Ryoken, which was… certainly new. And nice.

His eyes found a pair of patrons, one big, muscular man and a younger, bright, blonde haired boy, talking cheerfully with Jin Kusanagi.

The pair looked oddly familiar.

_ Wait bu---- _

Ryoken blinked.

They were gone, and Jin was already outside, serving some food.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

What was he looking at? There was a rising dread in his stomach.

He couldn’t remember.

_ Remember, Revolver. _

He looked at his duel disk again which displayed a new message.

_ Yusaku Fujiki’s house. _

Why was he going there? Following phantom messages, losing his own mind?

Yet, he walked in, and instantly regretted not knocking.

Takeru and Yusaku were entangled on the couch, barely even jumping apart.

And there was also…

Purple and red.

_ Whoopsies. You can’t knock, can you? _

_ Ah. Sorry about this. Don’t even worry about this. _

_ Yeah, yeah, don’t fret it Ryoken. Just let it all go, okay? _

Ryoken blinked again, and Yusaku stood up from his position of straddling Takeru, buttoning up his shirt.

“Is there something wrong?”

Ryoken shuddered, and shook his head.

“No… I’m sorry. I should have knocked.”

“Yeah…” Takeru agreed, trailing off, lying back down.

Everything was fine, right?

“You know nobody would actually mind, if you would actually make a move on Yusaku, right?”

It probably should have felt more awkward to hear that question from Takeru, especially after what happened just a few hours prior.

“I mean… I know you two care for each other.”

“Are you inviting me for a threesome?”

Takeru’s face turned a shade very fitting to his online nickname, and he could only splutter, as Ryoken walked away.

The Ignis were all gone.

What was he supposed to remember?

Ryoken was sitting alone on his bed, and put on his duel disk.

Into the VRAINS, then.

He was falling.

LINK VRAINS was beautiful, more beautiful than ever, but Ryoken felt none of it, as he was falling through the endless abyss, as soon as he entered.

“Revolver!”

That voice.

A familiar, distressed voice.

Ryoken landed on his feet, and looked around - and there was Baira, distress on her face, running up to him.

“...? Is there something wrong?”

Baira moved out of Den City. He knew that. Along with the other Generals, they all left to atone for their sins in different ways.

Baira stood in front of him, clearly distressed, not knowing where to start.

“You don’t know, right? You really don’t know any of it.”

“Don’t know what?”

“Revolver, it’s… the world, your world… it’s all a lie! The Ignis… they aren’t gone. They are----”

She couldn’t finish it, before a strong wind almost knocked Ryoken off his feet, but there was something, like a set of hands, keeping him back.

Baira had no such thing, she stumbled backwards, panic in her eyes - and there was a bright light, as the familiar swirm of a data storm cut through the darknes. Ryoken wanted to move, to help her, to do _ something, _but the hands that kept him from falling over also stopped him from actually reaching out towards her.

“Revol--”

He wanted to scream her name, but then she got swept up in the storm, only her scream echoing through the darkness.

“Baira!”

He struggled against the hands, but they kept him steady and firm, and there was a small chuckle from the side.

“Man, after all that time trying to track her down, I didn’t think she would be foolish enough to actually log in to us. Maybe your old man was onto something, and you are a better honeypot than you think you are.”

That voice.

That taunting, laughing voice.

Ryoken slowly turned his head, and indeed, there was the Wind Ignis, hovering in the air, legs crossed, clearly amused by this whole thing.

“You…”

“Oh come on, Ryoken, don’t be so grumpy” Another _ way too familiar, no, it cannot be, shouldn’t be _voice interrupted him. “It will be fine.”

Ryoken forced himself to look at the owner of the hands holding him down - and it was Ai, tilting his head, and he could have swore he was smiling, in that smug way he was able to, despite not having a mouth.

“You…”

“Don’t sweat it much” Ai shrugged. “We are gonna send you back now.”

“Right, right” The Wind Ignis waved impatiently. “Get on with it.”

“Are you gonna kill me too?”

“Kill you? Whatever gave you that idea?” The Wind Ignis snorted, pushing himself straight up, before floating to the direction where Baira disappeared to.

Then it was just darkness.

***

The Ignis were gone, and Ryoken knew that. He also knew that this information was factually wrong.

He _ remembered _ them dying. He _ remembered _them all being gone.

And yet, the recording on his duel disk told him otherwise.

(Why did he record this? When? He couldn’t recall.)

But there was Baira’s voice. _ Your world… it’s all a lie! _ And the two other voices.

Voices of beings who should have been long gone.

_ A lie. _

Ryoken pushed himself to his feet, hurrying out to the kitchen, grabbing a knife, putting it to his palm.

He was bleeding.

_ I wouldn’t bleed in a virtual world, right? Unless… unless… unless… _

_ Unless… _

_ The Ignis were special. _

So, theory. This was a virtual world. That meant that VRAINS was a network within a network. Certainly not impossible.

Probable, even.

If the Ignis made this, they surely didn’t want them to know. That’s why Ryoken was bleeding even here.

But if it was a virtual world, there was someone, who clearly would have known…

He invited Yusaku over, and he showed up, because of course he did. He was leaning by the railing, looking over Stardust Road, just hearing Yusaku walk in.

“Will you be honest with me?”

“What’s the matter?”

Avoiding the answer. Obviously.

Ryoken just threw the duel disk backwards, knowing Yusaku would catch it.

“There is a recording on it.”

He listened to it again, without a word, and after finishing it, Yusaku was silent too.

“Is this a virtual world? Your Link Sense would tell you.”

“Yes.”

“Are all the Ignis alive?”

“Yes.”

“Do the others know?”

“The Ignis being alive, yes. The virtual world, no.”

Ryoken turned around, looking at Yusaku, his wide green eyes reflecting the moonlight.

“What is going on in the outside world?”

“Humanity declared war” Yusaku’s voice was detached, not looking at Ryoken, more like somewhere on the horizon behind him. “So the Ignis decided to put the humans they care about the most into safety.”

Ryoken snickered humourlessly, spreading his arms.

“Care about the most? Me?! Why would they put _ me _here then?”

They wouldn’t. They absolutely wouldn’t. Unless they could torment him, why else would they put _ him _in here?

“Three reasons” Yusaku started, lifting his fingers. “One. They don’t only put in people they personally care about, but also the ones those people care about. And I didn’t want to lose you. Two. The same goes for Spectre, he would also look for you, and wouldn’t be happy without you here. Three…”

“Revenge” Ryoken finished it bitterly. “I bet it’s fun for them to have me here, isn’t it?”

“Revenge, yes” Yusaku nodded. “But not on you. They feel like this is their ultimate strikeback against your father. After all, he started off the war with attacking the Ignis first.”

Silence, and Ryoken slowly shook his head.

“And you are just fine with this? This… this lie?”

“Which part is it a lie?” Yusaku shook his head. “The emotions? The relationships? It’s all real. They did not meddle with any of that. We are just… safely away from danger.”

“Living a lie! While the rest of humanity burns. Do you know what they did to Baira?”

“Do you know what Baira did to me?”

Ryoken recoiled, and Yusaku took a step forward.

“Ryoken... “

“They erase my memories all the time I see them don’t they” Ryoken shook his head. “That’s how… That’s why I have no idea about it.”

“It wouldn’t have to be that way.”

“Do you want me to just roll over and accept it? To accept them putting us into this gilded cage, just because it all looks nice a---”

Yusaku closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together to cut his words off.

He wanted to push Yusaku off, he really did, only he really, _ really _didn’t. Yusaku’s whole body pressed him up against the railing, and Ryoken found himself gripping Yusaku’s shoulders, like a drowning person would cling into his last lifeline.

“Just… _ please. _I can’t lose you. This… this here can be our new way. All of us. Together” Yusaku breathed, their lips barely even parting.

“...don’t. I…”

Yusaku closed his eyes, before kissing Ryoken again, and for a split second, Ryoken saw a purple flash behind him.

_ Still no, huh? Well, with Baira gone, maybe we will be able to ease him into it easier later. Don’t freak out, Yusaku. We have all the time in the world. But hey, at least you two are making some kind of progress here. That is always something isn’t it? _

Ryoken closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be lost in the kiss.

What else was he supposed to do now?

***

The Ignis were all gone, and Ryoken may just allow himself to be happy like this.

He woke up alone in bed, but Yusaku’s scent was still everywhere.

Yeah, he might just be happy like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
